Alfred E. Newman’s famous Mad Magazine motto has been doubling as the Bruins’ team slogan lately.

We shouldn’t worry that the team has won just once in the last two weeks. It’s no big deal that the team’s power play hasn’t scored 5-on-4 in a month. Most nights the team’s only offense comes from its top line, but that’s just a momentary lapse by what is a multi-line, super-deep scoring machine.

After all, every team the Bruins have played lately is desperate for points and fighting for its playoff life. Columbus (more in its own mind than in reality), Nashville and tonight Toronto – a 5-2 blowout winner – are already playing their playoff games. It’s difficult to match that type of intensity.

Well, if the Bruins think the Leafs and other wanna-be postseason clubs are playing at a fever pitch, what do they think they’re going to find once they get into the playoffs? If they think Nashville’s Pekka Rinne and Toronto’s James Reimer are playing lights-out in goal, wait until the Bruins are staring down the likes of Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Miller or Cam Ward in a best-of-seven series.

This whole idea that opponents are outplaying the Bruins just because they have more to play for is preposterous. The Northeast Division is still very much on the line. The Bruins with a strong finish could even move up to second and most likely miss what promises to be a disastrous first-round match-up with Montreal. And overall, the Bruins should just be looking to play their best now rather than suddenly trying to find their game once the playoffs start because by then it might be too late.

Sure, the Bruins pretty much know they’re going to the playoffs. But just like two years ago when the postseason seemed assured by the start of March, this team also has to look forward to bigger and better things – be it a division title, a higher seed or just some impressive individual stats.

If the opponents’ playoff season has already started, the Bruins should be taking the same approach. That means it’s time to get the lazy out of their game. Michael Ryder should never have four of his shot attempts blocked like he did tonight. Playmakers David Krejci (no shots on net tonight) and Tomas Kaberle have to diversify their games and get a shot or two on net every night. Kaberle and the rest of the defensemen have to take care of the puck like it’s their baby, and actually pass it to another person rather than praying for success every time they fling it away. Zdeno Chara has to regain his mean streak and Mark Recchi has to find his scoring touch and forechecking legs.

And they have to get much angrier, and I don’t mean “Nathan Horton, throw my helmet down and challenge Dion Phaneuf when the game’s basically over” angry. They don’t even need a fight to show their anger. It’s just a matter of throwing the body and letting these “hungry” teams know they’re not getting any supper from the Bruins.

If this team has the type of character the Bruins’ front office and coaching staff thinks it has, the New Jersey Devils will have their bleak playoff chances completely stomped out by a squad of Boston players that will be exhaling smoke and skating with the wind at their backs Tuesday night. The Bruins can’t keep postponing their move into playoff mode and think that once the Stanley Cup logo is painted on the ice they’re suddenly going to morph back into the team that less than a month ago president Cam Neely declared was a top-four team.

If Mad Magazine did a cartoon about recent Bruins teams, the joke would be that they always fail in the seventh game of the second round of the playoffs despite the high hopes of their loyal-but-jaded fan base. If they keep playing the way they have during this 1-3-3 stretch, the Bruins won’t even get that far.

I would think that neither Paille nor Seguin will sit this next game. I would venture to suggest that Ryder (again) or Recchi will sit because of lax play/fatigue respectively. Bergey nor anyone from the top line is really asking for it at this point, the energy line is still bringing energy, Marchand just got off a suspension. Seguin is still playing like he wants ice time (starting from a few games ago), Paille has been solid with the effort as has Kelly. Therefore, scratching any of these players makes little sense, and won’t do much to shake up the lines.

I like the idea of possibly adding Horton onto Bergeron’s line. It’s in my mind not a demotion for him, but rather a spark to get bergey’s line going.

I could also see the proposed line of George as a possible alternative to this, with the exception that I put Marchand on the 3rd line, Paille on the 4th and put Ryder’s sorry ass where it belongs. (I’ll be a very sad fan if he is resigned)

George – I think you’re 100% right. There are still a dozen games left, so now is the time to really shake things up and give the next 6 games to line-ups that are fresh. If they don’t spark the team, you have the last 6 games with more familiar line-ups to get some mojo back. Why not try it?

MattK,
Do you think lines 1,2,3 all need to be rearranged? It may take some pressure off the players or clear their heads if Claude gets them together and just says ‘we are going with some new combinations, start from scratch and see what happens.’ I don’t think it would be to really find out who can play together, but just to calm everyone down. Of course I could be crazy thinking a massive change of lines makes sense at the very end of the season.

Well, P.C. won’t fire Julien, but if he did I would think that one of the assistant coaches would step in before Nelly would. I just see this scenario where they go in as the 6th seed and get bounced by 3rd seed Montreal and then come right back next year with the same cast of mediocre players, contracts for everyone, low risk management, and Droopy behind the bench. Oh yeah, and fans that keep showing up because Looch is gonna wreck guys- even though he hasn’t hit anyone in the last two years.

I can see it now. There will be a day where we honour the last living member of the ’72 team. You know like the last civil war vet or the last WWI soldier. It should be a nice ceremony and I hope my future grand kids will enjoy it.

Great post MattK,
Looking at the other top teams in the East, most of them have had tough times in their last 10 games other than maybe the Capitals. To me that is no excuse for the Bruins to cruise into the playoffs when they had a legitimate chance to catch first place in the conference. Now I see them either 6th or 3rd, playing a Canadiens team that has owned them all season. As for firing the coach, I just don’t see it happening if it did not last year after Philly or the epic winless streak they had. I believed the Bruins overachieved a little early this season, with Thomas playing the best hockey a goalie ever had in the history of the NHL for a couple months.

Ive said it all along, this team beats to its own drum, and Julien does not have a hold of a team. If you boil it down to the numbers, Juliens teams have lost 3 straight games 7’s and blew a 3-0 series lead last year. Im not saying all of that was his fault, but if you look at how inconsistent the Bruins have been, maybe a different philosophy would help, NEXT season. Too late now for this one. And Matt, love the post, made me wanna drop the gloves at the opening faceoff, so maybe the Bruins will too. Lastly, although he has struggled putting the puck in the net, Nathan Horton has brough a skating game much of this season that we havent seen from other players, including Lucic, and his willingness to fight looks like he respects pulling on that Bruins sweater. Go b’s

Ryder and Recchi are waiting for Bergie to do it all, and get a free goal passing by. Bergie needs wingers that can match his speed and work ethics. Bergeron was the best Bruins on the ice last night along with Seguin. Should he have scored on the breakaway…….

This dressing room is not together. A group binding day is indicated, if not too late. Julien is in a tough spot. I would not be surprised to see him let go if he does not make it passed the first round.

These last few weeks have had me worried. Generally I’m a level-headed B’s fan. However, I cannot fathom how the B’s just let *seemingly* low level teams take these games (OT or not). As much as it pains me to say it…I don’t know if we’re ready for a first round playoff vs montreal…they have had our collective number lately. Hopefully I get proved wrong and the B’s step up to the challenge in playoffs.

The only reason I think the Bruins are playing this way is that they are saving their energy for the playoffs. As a loyal Bruins fan, I find it disgusting their lack of effort these past games. Do these guys know that a game lasts 60 f*%@ing minutes?!?